SESSIONS JOG-A-THON
Sessions’ annual Jog-a-thon was a great success, with students running laps around the school track while listening to rockin' tunes. The biggest fundraiser of the year raised money for programs that are no longer district-funded, such as music, art and the library. The school would like to thank community sponsors: Itan, for their contribution toward shirts, and Dominos, who offered a deal on pizzas.

PBMS TALENT SHOW
The winners of Pacific Beach Middle School’s Talent Show from Friday, Feb. 9 are former students from Pacific Beach Elementary and they are all children of teachers in the Mission Bay Cluster of San Diego Unified School District. These talented kids performed ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ by U2. Trevor Sandler (drums), Jacob Sloan (guitar), Rhett Warner (bass guitar), and Roxy Borg (vocals).

Mission Bay High
- Mission Bay will participate in the National School Walkout, as part of the national protest against gun violence, at 10 a.m. on March 14. The organizers behind the Women’s March are calling for students, teachers, school administrators, parents and allies to take part in a #NationalSchoolWalkout for 17 minutes at 10 a.m. across every time zone on March 14 to protest Congress’ inaction to do more than tweet “thoughts and prayers” in response to the gun violence plaguing schools and neighborhoods. Students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep citizens safe from gun violence at schools, on the streets and in their homes and places of worship.
- This year's Pops Concert at Mission Bay High will take place 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8 in the auditorium. The Concert Band, Swing Choir, String and Full Orchestra will perform music from favorite films, musicals and pop standards: “Hamilton,” “Star Wars,” “Moana,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Spider Man” and more. Tickets $5, kids/students free.
- Boys basketball coach Marshawn Cherry has provided an inspiring focus on academics and character development by teaming up with MBHS teacher, Dr. Ron Lancia, in a program called ASAP, ACES Student Athlete Program. The team has been studying every day for the past two years and reached their goal of a team GPA above a 3.0 with every player on the team academically eligible. “ACES has greatly improved my work ethic, on and off the court, making sure I get things done correctly and on time,” said forward Michael Barcia. “It has helped me with communicating with teammates and it has brought us closer.”
The program provides consistent academic support Mondays through Thursdays in the Mission Bay library. Established in 2013, the program provides assistance in English, history, math, science and special populations, including English language learners, special education, IB and art, and access to technology resources. ACES furnishes an array of holistic services, including social-emotional support, college readiness and self-advocacy through leadership-building seminars, workshops on health-related topics and access to school counselors. With a record of 24-5 in the Western League, boys basketball is entering CIF playoffs this week.
Pacific Beach Middle
- A parent tour will take place 8 a.m. Monday, March 1. Sign in at the front office and join parents in the PBMS media center to meet Principal Meng and International Baccalaureate coordinator Jennifer Sims to learn about the academic and athletic programs at PBMS.
Barnard Elementary
- Barnard Mandarin Magnet Elementary School welcomed the Year of the Dog in grand fashion. The festivities began the week of Feb. 5, with traditional Chinese lion dancers, a beloved ritual at Barnard that never loses its magic. On Feb. 9, students from each classroom staged elaborate cultural performances that highlighted a variety of Chinese arts, including poetry, martial arts, and dance. The show drew rave reviews from parents, district officials, and the school’s long-time Mandarin education partners at the Confucius Institute at SDSU.
Barnard held its annual free, community-wide Chinese New Year celebration on Feb. 10, festival attendees enjoying food, hours of entertainment, and fun games throughout the day. “I am so proud and grateful to be a Barnard parent,” said Deval Zaveri, who has two students enrolled at the school.
- Next up is the downtown Chinese New Year Festival on Feb. 24 and 25, where Barnard’s recitation and dance troupes will take to the main stage each day. Barnard will also be represented by its student ambassadors at a nearby booth. Stop by to learn more about the school and to speak (in Mandarin) with the people who know it best: the students.
CPJMA
- Crown Point Junior Music Academy, in partnership with the San Diego Yokohama Sister Society, will be bringing the community free monthly multicultural performances including dances and musical demonstrations from the Philippines, Brazil, Spain, and Taiwan. Open to the community, the first concert will take place 2:15 to 3:25 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 in the auditorium.
Kate Sessions
- Sessions takes prides in being an International Baccalaureate school and the teachers and staff reinforce IB characteristics and promote global awareness on a daily basis. The “I See IB” students who are being recognized this month are: Mia Leahy, Lily Caparatta, Kendall Lewis and Lauren Lowary for Caring, and Logan Haw for showing respect.
FOPBSS
- Friends of Pacific Beach Secondary Schools’ Taste of North PB Restaurant Walk, will take place 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 14. Join the community for a restaurant walk through North PB, featuring a variety of delicious food from 20 restaurants and cafes. Enjoy music from local musicians and schools, and displays of student art. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for children, and available at MBHS, PBMS, PBE, Leilani's Cafe, Pernicano's Pizza House, and Java Earth Cafe. All proceeds benefit FOPBSS to help fund school programs.
Mission Bay Cluster
- The next Mission Bay Cluster meeting will take place 6 p.m. Thursday, March 1 at Barnard Elementary School.

Some Pacific Beach residents are becoming increasingly perturbed by alleged collateral damage from an infrastructure project that has the beach community torn up from seemingly endless construction.
At issue is the ongoing Pacific Beach Pipeline South and West Projects, which are replacing nearly 39,000 linear feet of water main, and nearly 6,800 feet of sewer main, with new, 16-inch PVC mains. The project, which began July 2016 and is scheduled to conclude October 2019, at a total projected cost of slightly more than $34 million, is estimated to take 55 months to complete.
TC Construction Co. is executing the construction project on Ingraham Street, which cuts across the Pacific Beach, Midway-Pacific Highway and Mission Bay Park areas.
Next Door social media in Pacific Beach has been lit up lately with complaints/questions about pipeline construction and its alleged negative impacts to the community.
“The pipe dig/installation schedule is ridiculous, but my real question is why the street resurfacing after the pipe installation takes so long?” asked Rick Burroughs of PB North. “It seems pretty obvious this project is lacking oversight. Ingraham through Crown Point has been torn up for years … It’s dangerous and embarrassing.”
“I realized they have to change the pipes,” said Erik Eisenhardt. “But it would be nice if, when [the contractor] finished in one area, they would pave the streets and move to the next. It’s just a nightmare. All the streets are torn up.”
“The patchwork is terrible,” said Dan Bernard. “Ingraham felt like the Belmont roller coaster.”
Russell Watson of PB North Shore Highlands concurred.
“The worst road work I’ve ever seen,” Watson said. “The repair work is horrible. They should be doing the whole street instead of patchwork.”
City spokesman Alec Phillipp discussed the pipeline project’s budget and timeline.
“We are currently on schedule to have the project completed in late 2019, but this schedule is subject to change,” Phillipp said. “The project is still on budget, with the full construction contract amount being $34.2 million.”
Phillips said the contractor is “currently installing pipe on Ingraham Street between the two bridges near Vacation Island, and continuing work on the north bridge.”
Phillip added, “Looking forward, the contractor will continue pipe installation in West Mission Bay Drive, and install the last segment of pipe in West Point Loma Boulevard.”
Not all public reaction to pipeline construction has been negative.
Crown Point Drive resident Anabelle described construction workers as “courteous, polite and very caring. They have been working in front of my house for over a month and display professionalism … accommodate our three kids constantly … offered my in-laws ear plugs … They work hard and really know what they are doing.”
“All these cast-iron pipes need to be replaced in the street and on our properties and the whole city is facing the same problem,” said David Clausson in east PB. “Just so happens that time is now.”
Marilyn Link in southwest PB has also been impressed by pipeline work being done on east/west side streets.
“They get in there, and get it done,” Link said. “The detours are minor … their notifications to residents have given ample warning, and the engineering and planning for such a massive project is mind boggling.”
But there have been problems other than excessive dust, noise and traffic dislocation caused by ongoing pipeline replacement.
D. Pierce, a seasonal resident in the 1400 block of Thomas Avenue, said, “We have yet to see a street sweeper in the past three months … The traffic barricades are in my driveway … I called the city street sweeping department and they admit that they cannot do the job when there are temporary water lines. Obviously, the parking enforcement people didn’t get the memo.”
Added Pierce, “It would be interesting to see how much money the city has collected in parking tickets based on the fact that there was no need to enforce the laws, as the streets were never swept due to the construction.”
The city parking enforcement division could not be reached by Beach & Bay Press for comment by press time.
PB resident Matt Phillips of Crown Point North has also taken action, and is actively collecting signatures on the 1500 block of Oliver Avenue and Haines Street demanding the removal of equipment to reclaim lost parking spaces from pipeline work.
Speaking for many on pipeline construction, Sean Brew noted: “I live in Crown Point and there is a ton of major construction projects that seem endless — streets dug up, Ingraham Street bridge, a big barge in Mission Bay. It would be great to have more info on what they are doing, and when they plan to finish.”

Heard of car or bike share? Now there’s scooter share in Pacific Beach.
Black-hued “Bird” Segway Kickscooter ES1 Electric Scooters, retailing for $399, are seemingly everywhere these days along the beachfront.
The 30- to 40-pound dockless electric scooters, capable of speeds up to 15 mph, are available through a scooter-share service via a smartphone app.
The scooter-share startup, Bird, was begun by Travis VanderZanden, who was previously an executive with Uber and Lyft ride sharing.
Launched in September 2017, tens of thousands of people have already ridden Bird. The company started in Los Angeles, and has since spread from Venice Beach down to San Diego. Bird plans to branch out to dozens of other markets this year.
In Pacific Beach and elsewhere along the San Diego coast, the new mode of transportation played to mostly mixed reviews.
“Bird scooters could be a unique opportunity to offer an alternative transportation model, and last-mile commutes that align with our eco-district principles, while mitigating some of Pacific Beach’s parking and traffic issues,” said Sara Berns, executive director of Discover PB, the community’s business improvement district.
“However, we want to ensure that the company and its ridership are adhering to public safety concerns, and that of our merchants.
“We have reached out to work with the company to help alleviate some of those issues to ensure they are not impeding on our existing business community, but rather enhancing it,” she said. “We look forward to them working with us and the community at- large.”
Dan Michaels, a Pacific Beach business owner, turned his thumbs down on the new alternative ride share service.
“These new electric scooters for rent all over PB is getting annoying,” said Michaels on the Next Door social media site. “They are leaving them everywhere and [they’re] allowed to operate without a business license. Riders are intoxicated renting them, under age, and don't obey any laws of the road. Then when finished, they are leaving them in front of doors, ramps, etc.”
Michaels pointed out Pacific Beach has “fought hard to remove bike share stations (Deco renamed DiscoverBike) from the boardwalk. This company thinks they can just establish these in the same places. What can we do next to stop this before someone gets hurt.”
There are numerous rules in the California Vehicle Codes applying to the safe and proper use of electric scooters like Bird. Police warn they will issue citations for a range of violations, costing between $197 and $367, for non-lawful operation of such scooters.
Citable scooter offenses include: driving while intoxicated, not having headlights and reflectors at night, not riding on the right-hand edge of roadways, exiting bike lanes without signaling, not having brakes, riders not wearing mandatory bicycle helmets, and not allowing passengers, among other restrictions.
When finished, Bird users lock them in place at their end destination. Scooters employ GPS and an electric lock restricting wheel movement. If tampered with, an alarm is triggered on the vehicle locking its wheels in place and making them unridable.
For more information about vehicle codes applying to Bird scooters visit, codes.findlaw.com.

Willie O'Ree prepares to drop a ceremonial puck before a recent San Diego Gulls game. O'Ree, a former Gulls player, was the first black player in the NHL 60 years ago. At left is current Gull Jaycob Megna and at right John McCarthy of the San Jose Barracuda. SAN DIEGO GULLS / COURTESY

Former member of the San Diego Gulls Willie O'Ree, left, is presented a jersey by the current Gulls team during a night honoring the legendary O'Ree. The native of Fredericton, New Brunswick was the first black player in the National Hockey League when he joined the Boston Bruins in 1958. SAN DIEGO GULLS / COURTESY

On Jan. 18, 1958, a young hockey player was called up from the minor leagues to join the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League, who were in Montreal for a game at the Forum, home of the Canadiens.
His name was Willie O'Ree, and history was made that night. Why?
O'Ree is black.
And, while he only played in two games that season, the color barrier in professional hockey had been broken, giving O'Ree the honorable designation as the "Jackie Robinson of hockey."
Born Oct. 15, 1935, in the coal-mining town of Fredericton, New Brunswick, O'Ree was the youngest of 13 children. Driven to succeed in both athletics and academics, he soon began to believe he could compete in sports at a pro level. As a youngster in 1949, he also received an invitation from the Atlanta Braves to their minor league baseball camp. When he deplaned in Atlanta, he recalls seeing the drinking fountains marked "White Only" and "Colored Only."
While in the United States, however, O'Ree had the opportunity to meet black baseball star Jackie Robinson in Brooklyn. “I knew he broke the color barrier,” O’Ree recalls, “and when I actually met him he said, ‘There’s no black kids that play hockey.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, there’s a few.'” Robinson told him “Whatever sport you choose, work hard and do your very best. Things will work out for you.”
O'Ree returned in 1961 to play 43 games for the Bruins, scoring four goals and adding 10 assists. And while those were the only games he played in the NHL, the door had opened for black players to compete at the highest level.
O'Ree's greatest strengths were the speed with which he could skate and his checking ability on defense. While he was not imposing in stature at 5 feet 10 inches tall and 170 pounds, his toughness, determination and speed allowed him to make a considerable impact driving opposing players into the boards.
His Boston teammates stuck up for him, but in one game Eric Nesterenko of the Chicago Black Hawks hit him in the face with the butt end of his stick, knocking out two of O'Ree's teeth and breaking his nose. O'Ree responded by hitting Nesterenko over the head with his stick, igniting a fight between the teams... with Nesterenko acquiring 15 new stitches in his head.
"I was prepared for it [verbal and physical abuse] because I knew it would happen. I wasn’t a great slugger, but I did my share of fighting. I was determined that I wasn’t going to be run out of the rink,” O'Ree recalled.
In 1967, general manager Max McNabb of the nascent San Diego Gulls of the Western Hockey League acquired O'Ree from the rival Los Angels Blades, and O'Ree immediately became a fan favorite as he accelerated to full skating speed in four or five strides and rushed the opponents' net.
Record-size minor league crowds at the then San Diego Sports Arena roared as O'Ree won the WHL goal-scoring title with 38 in 1968-69. With his 41 assists, he totaled 79 points in 70 games.
After his retirement in 1979, O'Ree settled in San Diego and today lives in La Mesa.
O'Ree kept a secret during his playing career that spanned 28 years: One afternoon in the mid 1950s, a puck ricocheted off a stick and struck O'Ree in the right eye, shattering his retina. He lost 97 percent of the vision in the eye, which had to be removed years later. Doctors urged him to hang up his skates.
Eight weeks later he was back on the ice where he switched from left wing to right wing so he could see the puck better, yet fearing his career would end if his handicap were discovered.
Eventually, the NHL took note of O'Ree's historic status and in 1998 invited him to be the director of youth development for its Diversity Task Force, a nonprofit program for minority youth that provides equipment and ice time so inner-city kids might learn and play hockey in its "Hockey is for Everyone" program.
On Jan. 19, 2008, the Boston Bruins and NHL honored O'Ree at TD Garden marking the 50th anniversary of his debut. Those in attendance included a busload of O'Ree's friends from his native Fredericton.
The next month, ESPN aired a special program on O'Ree in honor of Black History Month.
Last month marked the 60th anniversary of O'Ree's first game, and O'Ree once again returned to Boston to be honored.
"It’s wonderful and I was thrilled," O'Ree recalled. "When I was in Boston [last month] it took me back to when I first came to the Bruins and the training camp in 1957. I kind of fell in love with the team and the entire Bruins organization."
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman noted O'Ree has impacted more than 40,000 children in his 20-year NHL ambassador career.
"Willie has a resolve and an inner strength that allows him to do what he believes and not let anything get in his way," Bettman said.
O'Ree has received many other awards including the Order of Canada, the highest civilian award for a Canadian citizen.
The love affair between San Diego hockey fans and Willie O'Ree has continued to grow over the decades. When not on the road as part of his NHL commitment, O'Ree, now 82 years old, can be found enjoying a San Diego Gulls game at the Valley View Casino Center. Always upbeat, he never denies an autograph request.
While his number 20 jersey has hung from the arena rafters for several years, the Gulls recently honored O'Ree at a Diversity Night-themed game. He conducted the ceremonial puck drop to a standing ovation from over 8,500 fans.
O'Ree has overcome much in his life and, through hard work and determination, earned his status as a local legend and hero.
QUOTABLE: FROM HOCKEY LEGEND WILLIE O'REE
“Racist remarks from fans were much worse in the U.S. cities than in Toronto and Montreal. I particularly remember a few incidents in Chicago. The fans would yell, ‘Go back to the South’ and ‘How come you’re not picking cotton?’ Things like that. It didn’t bother me. Hell, I’d been called names most of my life. I just wanted to be a hockey player, and if they couldn’t accept that fact, that was their problem, not mine.
“In the penalty box, stuff would be thrown at me and they’d spit at me. I never fought one time because of racial remarks. But I said, ‘If I’m going to leave the league, it’s because I don’t have the skills or the ability to play anymore. I’m not going to leave it ’cause some guy makes a threat or tries to get me off my game by making racial remarks towards me."
"We have approximately 32 cities in the Hockey is For Everyone program, and the first thing I say is to these boys and girls is to stay in school and get an education. Education is the key. You can’t go anywhere today in the world without an education."
"You need to set goals for yourselves, and you need to work towards your goals and believe and feel good about yourself and like yourself."
"If you think you can then you can, and if you think you can’t, you’re right."

I remember watching O'Ree when he played with the old L.A. Blades of the WHL and the writer is correct, O'Ree was an amazingly fast skater. It's too bad he was born a generation too early as he would have been a big NHL star once the league expanded.

Good point, Doug. The players in the old Western Hockey League probably would be NHLers today with 31 teams. Back in the day, the NHL consisted of only six teams, leaving very few roster spots for players like Willie. But then we may never have had the privilege of seeing him play in San Diego!

If you live in San Diego, you probably recognize a few required living essentials: sunscreen, swimsuits, sandals and, according to San Diego State University graduate and entrepreneur Chase Fisher, you must have “a good pair of shades.”
But sunglasses that are both affordable and of good quality can be hard to come by – a challenge met with enthusiasm by Fisher’s Pacific Beach-based business.
Since 2012, his sunglasses company Blenders Eyewear has been selling “fresh, vibrant, comfortable” shades and goggles in store and online. According to Fisher, it’s the active lifestyle of San Diego that inspires the product.
Their motto, “Founded on Fun. Designed for Adventure. Priced to Party,” says it all.
Blender Eyewear’s sunglasses are priced between about $20 and $65 and are made to be light-weight with maximum comfortability. The polycarbonate lenses, all of which are UV-protected, can bend without breaking so they’re convenient to wear for any occasion.
“We try to get the best stuff at the best price we can, and bring the best value,” Fisher said.
Fisher says he was inspired to open the business by the gear he saw others wearing when he surfed competitively in his home town of Santa Barbara. The active San Diego lifestyle also inspired the products
But the true “ah-ha” moment, as Fisher puts it, was when he was in a night club sporting $5 neon green sunglasses. According to him, his cheap glasses attracted as much attention as they would have if they’d been expensive name brand glasses, sparking his business idea for quality shades that wouldn’t require customers to “spend their entire bank account.”
Blenders offers a diverse line of styles to fit everyone’s taste, from the bold tropical patterned Kate Forest sunglasses with blue and green lenses to the more subtle Surfliner sunglasses with the light blue rims and black lenses.
Often times, the most popular sunglasses will sell out quickly, but being out of stock doesn’t tend to pose a problem, says customer success manager Lexi Horn. A different pair rises up immediately to become the new favorite.
“I’m really confident in our brand,” she says.
On each pair of sunglasses is the company’s logo: a pair of stripes “//,” which symbolizes “life in forward motion.”
“It’s following your passion, whatever that might be,” said Fisher about the logo’s meaning. “We try to design our glasses around any possible lifestyle.”
The company promotes fun and adventure, but sunglasses sales aren’t without their challenges.
According to Fisher, it’s a competitive market with continuously shifting trends that are difficult to keep up with. With production timelines taking between 90 and 120 days, he says the changes in popular styles aren’t something that can be easily planned for.
Horn adds that the company commonly has to “fix things on the fly,” but that the customers have remained loyal through the adjustments.
For the Blenders Eyewear team, the rewards of the business outshine the challenges.
“For me, the most fulfilling thing is just adding value to people’s lives,” says Fisher. “I think our product really allows people to express themselves.”
The future of Blenders Eyewear will include a new kids line, limited edition projects, and an expansion of both the snow goggles and sunglasses line, according to Fisher.
The Blenders Eyewear office is located in Pacific Beach at 1940 Garnet Ave. It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during weekdays and closed on weekends.
Blenders Eyewear
Where: 1940 Garnet Ave. No. 240.
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, closed weekends.
Info: blenderseyewear.com.

Padres sign Eric Hosmer to an eight-year contractThe San Diego Padres have signed first baseman Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144 million contract through the 2025 season, executive vice president/general manager A.J. Preller announced on Feb. 2...

Motorcyclist seriously injured in Midway crash A 57-year-old male was driving his 2010 Subaru Outback and was stopped at Sutherland Street waiting to make a left turn to southbound 3850 Pacific Highway on Feb. 15 about 4:45 p.m. A 20-year-old m...

MADCAPS annual benefit show set for March 8-10Mothers and Daughters Club Assisting Philanthropies (MADCAPS) celebrates 58 years of community service with its annual benefit show happening 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8 and Friday, March 9, and 5 p.m...